The purpose of this grant/fellowship is to provide a medical, dental or graduate student with funds to complete a research project involving alcohol or drug abuse/addiction, thereby potentially interesting the student in a career in this field. It is expected that the student will write the grant under the sponsorship of a member of TRSA who is active in this research area.

Eligibility: Only current medical, dental or graduate students at Texas colleges or universities are eligible for this award. The student must have a sponsor who is a member of TRSA and is currently involved in alcohol or drug abuse/addiction research. Proposals from students working in biomedical and psychosocial research areas are welcome.

Form of Grant: The grant must be limited to a total of four pages, single spaced, using 10 point print or larger. The sections of the grant will be (1) an abstract (limited to 500 words) which must include a statement of the hypothesis, (2) budget, (3) significance and background, (4) preliminary results (if any), (5) methods, and (6) references. A brief statement concerning anticipated results and relevance to the mission of TRSA must be included in a cover letter that accompanies the grant application.

Presentation of Results: The student must agree to present the results of the study at the TRSA annual scientific meeting in February. The student's sponsor must agree to attend the meeting. Meeting registration fee will be waived for the student and one night’s lodging will be reimbursed. Any other travel and lodging expenses will be at the awardee’s expense.

Amount of Grant: The applicant should provide a detailed budget outlining the related expenses to complete the project. The money awarded may be for salary, supplies, and, under special circumstances, small pieces of equipment pertinent to the research. The upper limit of the award must be no more than $5,000. The institution at which the research will be performed must agree not to charge the TRSA for indirect costs.

Evaluation of Proposal: The proposal will be evaluated using the following criteria: (1) importance or significance of the project, (2) originality of the study, (3) the research plan and budget, (4) the clarity and presentation of the proposal, and (5) relevance of the project to the mission of TRSA.

Review of Applications: The reviews will be performed by out-of-state, senior scientists whose expertise is in the area of alcohol and drug abuse/addiction. The reviewers will be paid an appropriate amount for completing the reviews in a timely fashion. There will be at least two reviewers.

Research Mission of TRSA: Taken from the constitution and bylaws of TRSA, the "purpose of the Society shall be to serve as a meeting ground for research scientists who are interested in alcoholism and alcohol-related problems; to extend knowledge in this field; to promote the acquisition and dissemination of that knowledge; to give voice to the protection of rights for researchers and human subjects; to point out and assess research goals and needs; and to enlighten and direct public opinion in regard to these problems; to promote the methodological quality of research in these fields by awarding grants to qualified scientists in Texas." The research mission of TRSA is to help find the fundamental causes of and effective prevention, intervention, and treatment of addictive diseases.

Submission: Online application submission opens in late April or early May.